Tree Studio Building and Annexes facts for kids
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Tree Studio Building and Annexes
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Tree Studio Building and Annexes
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| Location | 4 E. Ohio Street, Chicago, IL |
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| Built | 1894, annex: 1912-1913 |
| Architect | Parfitt Brothers, annex: Hill and Woltersdorf |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, annex: English Arts & Craft |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000756 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1974 |
The Tree Studio Building and Annexes is a special place in Chicago, Illinois. It was started in 1894 by Judge Lambert Tree and his wife, Anne Tree. This building was created as an artist colony, which is a community where artists can live and work together.
Building the Tree Studios
Judge Lambert Tree had the first Tree Studio building constructed in 1894. The architecture firm of Parfitt Brothers designed it. The building has a strong steel frame and is two stories tall.
The ground floor was made with a decorative cast iron front. It was designed for shops and businesses. The second floor was built with special Roman brick. This floor had large windows to let in lots of natural light. These big windows were perfect for artists working in their studios.
Judge Tree wanted to make sure artists would always have a place to create. He set up a special legal agreement. This agreement said that only artists could live in the Tree Studios. This rule stayed in place for many years, until 1959. At that time, the building was sold to the Medinah Temple, which was a building next door.
Saving a Historic Place
In the year 2000, people became worried about the Tree Studios. They feared the building might be torn down to build a tall new tower. Because of these concerns, the studios were added to the 2000 World Monuments Watch. This list is created by the World Monuments Fund, an organization that helps protect important historical sites around the world.
With help from a company called American Express, the World Monuments Fund gave money. This money was used to study how important the buildings were. It also helped figure out how to save them. The results of this study helped the Tree Studios become official Chicago landmarks.
Restoring and Protecting the Studios
A businessman named Albert Friedman bought the property in 2001. He led the effort to restore the Tree Studios. Skilled construction workers and artists worked together to carefully rebuild the studios by hand. They even re-created old architectural details. They used small pieces that were left to make new parts in workshops right there.
The part of the building on State Street was named a Chicago Landmark on February 26, 1997. Later, on June 27, 2001, the parts of the building on Ohio Street and Ontario Street, along with the courtyard, also became Chicago Landmarks. The entire complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 16, 1974. This means it is recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
